Ashes
by teamjacob0729
Summary: Post BD. What would happen if the Volturi came back? Caution: dark themes, rated M for violence and language
1. Ashes, Ashes We All Fall Down

Chapter 1

Rated M for language and violence

Reviews and favorites are appreciated.

This is a Post-BD AU. It starts in a yet unrevealed time after the end of the book when the Volturi have left the Cullens. WARNING: This has a pretty dark theme. If you're looking for something fuzzy and happy, this isn't it. Sorry. You could try my other story, Broken.

All I could see around me was fire and smoke. I stood there looking in every direction but all I could see was destruction. It looked like an atomic bombed had been dropped. Was this my home? Where was I?

I felt numb inside. I knew I should be feeling something, something besides this nothing. But I didn't. It was a strange feeling.

Slowly, I began to walk and see if I could find anything in the wake of this disaster. I walked for what seemed like hours. I couldn't find a single recognizable thing. I stumbled across a creek mostly covered with rubble and stopped to wash myself. I was covered in blood, scratches and ash.

I wanted to phase but I couldn't. How could I when I knew that I would be alone with my thoughts? There was no way I could go through that right now. I wandered until I found a lone tree trunk. The top half had been ripped and its splintered middle was like a beacon in the clouds. I sat and leaned against it. I closed my eyes and fell into an uneasy sleep.

Slowly, a crunching sound came from behind me and it roused me from my exhausted sleep. My heart started pounding. I thought I was the only one here. Who could be left?

I pulled my body up into a squatting position. My wolf was growling in my chest. I peered around me, straightening my body to my full height. Turning against the rough bark of the tree, I made my way around the tree trunk.

There in the destruction was someone I didn't think I'd ever see again. She was also covered in ashes and looked to be in as much shock as I was. I didn't want to startle her as she didn't really seem to be aware I was here.

"Bella," I called out softly knowing she could hear me without a problem.

"Jake?" she questioned, squinting her eyes as if she couldn't see. "Jake, is that you?"

"Yeah," I sighed before crumpling back down against the tree. I rubbed my hands over my face trying to wipe the horrific images from my memory. Much to my frustration they wouldn't go away. It was like I had watched the scariest movie of my life and the images kept replaying in front of me.

Bella had come closer and stood before me, staring with her head tilted to the side, looking puzzled. "How are you alive?" she asked.

"Well, I don't really know. How are you alive? I thought everyone was destroyed. I mean look around. There is nothing left of this reservation. It's like it never existed. All I can see for miles is smoke and rubble from the fires," I answered her unsure of what she was talking about.

"Where is everybody? Why are you here alone, Bella? Where's Renesmee and Edward?" I asked her as panic started to set in my chest. I suddenly felt like I couldn't take a deep breath, or a shallow breath. I was hyperventilating.

"Jake, calm down. Breathe," Bella said forcefully, placing her freezing hand on my shoulder. It was enough to startle me and make me jerk my shoulder away.

"Jake, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. They came to our house too. It looks like this," she said as her hand gestured around us.

As her words settled into my mixed up brain, I broke out into sobs. Loud, gut wrenching, heart clenching sobs. Tears gushed down my face and I fell to my side and let the tears come.

"Why was I still alive?" I wondered. She was gone. My imprint was gone, my father was gone, and the entire pack was gone.

The only thing that got me through this fight was the thought that I was going to go home to her after this. I didn't want to live without the rest of them, but I could get through it with Renesmee, my imprint. She was becoming a teenager, getting both sassy and a great sense of humor. She was less stifled, more sure of herself, less prim and proper.

What the fuck was I going to do now? There was no one to consult about the legends. There were no written journals left. I didn't want to be alive anymore. It didn't make one bit of sense. I should be dead.

I stood up and phased. I started running. I ran as fast as I could, trying to escape what was left of my childhood home. Flashes from the fight kept skipping through my brain, unwanted. I remembered watching Seth and Jared attacking one of the Volturi leaders. I saw Brady, Collin and Sam destroy the other two, their translucent skin no match for the wolves' sharp teeth. If there was anything to be thankful for right now, it was that the three assholes of the vampire world were ash.

Now I had to find out who remained. Who left this fight to go and kill the only thing left that meant anything to me? I would find them and I would kill them. I no longer had anything left to live for. Everything was gone.

As I continued running, finally reaching the cover of forest, I could just barely hear the swish of fabric next to me. I realized Bella was running with me and I realized that not everything was gone. I still had my best friend. I realized that she had been the last one alive at Renesmee's home and she might have some useful information. She couldn't talk to me in wolf form, so I stopped and changed back to my human skin.

"I need to talk," I said. "I'm going to find and kill these bastards that killed them. So I need whatever information you can give me."

"Jake, we have no backup to go after them. They're Volturi guard. They're very gifted. How do you think they got away to come after us? Aro didn't escape, but they did," Bella told me.

I huffed in annoyance. Was she really that thick? Did that shield of hers prevent any common sense from trickling into her damn brain?

"Bella, I seriously don't give a damn if I live another day. I am going to hunt their asses down and turn them into fertilizer. Can you give me any useful information or not? Because if not, I'm off to find a trail and then I'm out of here," I snapped at her. She was so dense sometimes it was infuriating. I stood there trembling with my arms crossed over my chest, trying to hold myself together for the last 10 seconds I planned on giving her.

When those 10 seconds were up and no words left her mouth, I stepped back and started to transition into the wolf.

"Wait! Follow me, you impatient little shit," she hissed before darting off through the woods toward her home.

I phased and followed her, just a step behind. I didn't speed up because I was technically following her.


	2. Hitting the Bank

Chapter 2

**Rated M.**

**Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer and all its characters too. Maybe one day I'll write my own bestseller. We can all hope, right?**

**Thanks for reading.**

We ran full speed back toward the Cullen home. Technically, I lived here too, but it was only my home because Ness was here. But now she wasn't. I felt hollow inside when I saw that the houses and trees surrounding it were gone. Flattened to the ground just like La Push.

As we got closer, Bella spoke, "we were at the cottage when Edward heard their thoughts. He had said aloud, 'why hadn't Alice seen them?' Then he got up and raced to the door."

"I followed him out and the rest of the family came running out to meet us. Renesmee had been at the house with Rosalie and it wasn't long before Edward announced they were here," she continued to tell me. She stared around not looking at anything in the present, but remembering the past with her perfect memory. The expression on her face indicated she was in her own personal hell.

"Before we could even say a single word, a huge guy I've never seen before attacked Edward. I was so shocked my shield fell. That was all the opening they needed to prevent my protection from them. We fought back, hard. You can see how much destroyed in the fight. It seemed like they kept taking us in places that we would break things. The cottage, the main house. We were so focused on protecting ourselves at the time, it didn't occur to me that we were destroying our home.

It was as if they knew our every weakness, Jake. I don't know how I got away. I started fighting and my mind was straight fury. The next thing I know, I'm holding a head in my hands and my family has all been taken from me," Bella said, finally turning her eyes to me. I looked at her golden eyes and I could see the same grief I was feeling in my soul. We had lost everything and everyone except each other. I took a steeling breath.

"Show me where it happened, Bells," I commanded softly. I didn't have time for a breakdown right now. Right now, I needed to keep my head on straight. I had hunting to do.

Bella sighed an unnecessary breath and started to walk much slower than she was able. I followed her hesitantly. I knew we were getting close before we even made it. The smell of vampire ashes was not one that my wolf would miss. I braced myself for seeing the place where my imprint was murdered in cold blood.

Despite trying to prepare myself, I was not at all prepared for what I saw. All that was left was the metal bracelet and tiny BFF charm I had given her. I dropped to my knees as my breath left my chest. My face was on the ground, my arms out in front of me as I sobbed. This could not have happened. She was the sweetest, most innocent creature. Everything was supposed to be fine. Those assholes weren't ever supposed to come back! Why the hell had they killed everyone? We lived here in quiet peace, not exposing the vampire world.

Alice and Nahuel had assured Aro that Ness wouldn't grow up to be uncontrollable. What had changed in the last 5 years? She had grown up and was a peaceful person. Her heart beat, she grew and changed, she fit it in out in the human world. She was beautiful inside and out.

I lay crying at the tragedy of it all. My entire tribe had been destroyed, my pack, my family, everything had been taken from me. My eyes were swollen and my nose was gushing with snot. I wiped my arm across it. Disgusting.

I wiped my eyes and glanced around

me. Bella was sitting with her back to me, staring off. When she realized I'd stopped, she turned to look at me.

"There is a safety deposit box in Seattle. I need to get there. There's cash, fake passports and paperwork for all of us. You can stay here and cry or we can get moving. I need to get clean clothes and you can't very well travel naked," she stated matter-of-factly.

For the first time in my life, I actually felt a little embarrassed in my skin. I was usually comfortable in my nudity, even though I was modest for the sake of the others. I never just walked around naked. Being part of a wolf pack when you shared every thought of the others, being naked was not the most embarrassing thing that could happen.

I glared at Bella and phased, showing her I was ready to get the hell out of here. Before taking off, I put my nose by the bracelet and whined at her. My wolf nudged it a bit. She reached down and grabbed it. Then she darted off, before stooping down again. I assumed she found some other jewelry she wanted to keep, probably Edward's wedding ring.

I caught up to her and we headed toward Seattle. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see that she added Edward's and Esme's rings to a chain hanging from her neck. She pulled her shirt out and dropped the chain inside.

We were able to stay in the cover of forest for a long way. It wasn't long before I could not go further with her.

"I'm going to get you something to wear. I can't risk going into town long by myself. I don't know if they are aware I'm still alive and I refuse to take any chances until those bastards are dead," she said before turning and running off.

Of course, I wanted to follow her but a huge naked guy walking around wasn't going to go unnoticed in broad daylight. So I found a place where I could sit, stay hidden, but still have adequate view of everything going on.

It was only a few minutes before Bella returned, dressed in a black pantsuit, carrying a large black purse. She handed me a duffle bag and I opened it to find brand new clothes stuffed inside.

"Don't even, Jake," she retorted before I could say one word about her obvious shoplifting. I sighed. I guess this wasn't the first law we were about to break. I pulled out a black polo shirt, gray dress pants and shoes and socks. I put them on and was impressed how she picked out the perfect sizes. Stupid vampires and their memories. She'd probably known every time I gained an inch in my waist too.

I quickly put the clothes on and tied my shoes. I stood and waved my hands down my body silently asking Bella if she was satisfied. I knew we weren't walking into just any old bank if the Cullen's used it and I didn't want to look like a two bit criminal ready to rob the sweet Mrs. Cullen.

She nodded in the affirmative and said, "We need to swing by a restroom so you can finish cleaning up. But otherwise, you look fine."

We walked into a Burger King and I headed into the bathroom. This was the first mirror I had seen in days, and I realized I was in rough shape. I did the best I could in the bathroom sink and headed out the door.

As we walked up to the bank, I wondered how the hell we were going to pull this off. Bella didn't have a purse with an ID and neither did I. I'm sure my name was on an account here somewhere. After the first visit with the Volturi, Bella shared her contingency plan with us and Edward agreed it was important to always have a backup plan.

A concierge greeted us as soon as we walked in the door, my heart pounding in my chest. Bella whispered low enough for only me to hear, "to effing relax," then smiled widely to the older gentleman.

"Hi, I need to access my account please," she said softly.

"Of course, we would be happy to help you with that. Do you have your key?" he asked.

Bella withdrew the chain from her shirt and pulled a locket off to hand to the man.

"Thank you, madame. We'll be glad to help you. If you'd follow me," he said, leading them to another room where another man was waiting to help us.

"Hello, Mrs…" the next man asked, waiting for Bella to introduce herself.

"Hi, I'm Mrs. Smith and this is my husband, Mr. Smith," she said gesturing to me, while I stood behind her attempting to act natural.

"Welcome. If I could ask you for your thumbprint, we can proceed to the vault room," he said looking to us.

"Honey, could you do that for me?" Bella said, so sweetly, I wasn't sure who she was talking to. I quickly realized that was me and I should get my ass in gear. There'd be time for questions later, like, "how the hell did this bank have my thumb print?"

I stepped forward and placed my thumb into the reader. A little green light illuminated before a set of vault doors opened to our left. The three of us stepped through and the doors closed behind us. Damn that was freaky.

"Do you know your box number, Mr. Smith?" the stuffy man asked.

Bella quickly intercepted, and gave him the number, "R0913."

"Right this way," he led us to a rather large deposit box door. I always thought the boxes were small and could only fit a shoebox or so. This could have fit a cooler full of picnic supplies.

"I hope you have your combination slip, as that number is unique to this box. We can't duplicate the number that was issued upon opening of the account," the jerk said. I was now going from nervous as hell to annoyed as hell.

There was an electronic keypad on the outside. Stuffy entered his code and turned to us. Bella stepped up and entered a long sequence of numbers and letters clearly from memory. It wouldn't be a problem for her. Stuffy's eyes widened slightly before stepping out. He said when we were ready the closing of the box door would send him a signal, so we should take whatever time we needed.

Bella looked at him, dazzling him I was sure, and smiled at him. She glanced obviously at his nametag and said, "Thanks so much for your help, Stanley."

Personally, I liked the name Stuffy better. It was a better description.

After he left, Bella pulled the box out of the cabinet and laid it on the table in the middle of the room. Even after living with vampires for years, it still surprised me to see little Bella lift heavy stuff.

She lifted the lid and the scents of her and Edward wafted out. Clearly they were the last to have accessed it. Maybe that's why Stuffy was being a weirdo.

Inside there was a serious stack of cash in tons of different currencies. Bella sifted through and started pulling bundles out and laid them on the table. After that, she grabbed a stack of passports all bundled together. She sifted through them and tossed two bundles on the table. She looked lovingly at the pictures of her family before setting them to the side.

She handed me a bundle with my new name on it. It said, "Tom Jones." Geez, plain Jane that was. I grabbed Ness' stack and opened hers. It said, "Nancy Jones." I caressed her picture and went to rip it from the paper. Bella's hand reached out and stopped me.

"We can't take anything of them with us. I'm sorry, we need to keep our identities as secret as we possibly can," she pulled the necklace off and unclasped it. The rings and Ness' bracelet she had placed there dropped into the bin and she reattached the chain around her neck. "When this is over, you can come back for this stuff."

She walked over to a shredder and dropped all of the extra documents into it. My heart dropped knowing that was the last remaining picture of Ness.

"I don't think I'm coming back from this, Bella," I told her seriously.

She didn't respond to my statement. Instead, she began loading her bag with cash and pointed to the duffle bag I was carrying. I lifted it up and set it on the table. She opened it and started putting cash in hidden compartments inside. Of course, anything with a supernatural nose would know what was in there, but the everyday pickpocket wouldn't see it.

After putting everything in the bags, she zipped them and assured everything was in the box. She put it back in the slot, but didn't close the door.

"Is there anything you want to say before they open that door, Jake?" she asked.

"No, Mrs. Smith, can't think of anything. But Tom and Nancy? Is that what you guys came up with? What's your name?" I asked her, needing to know since I couldn't call her Bella.

"My name is Teresa Jones," she answered looking pointedly away.

"Jones? Why is your last name Jones?" I questioned her. That didn't make sense, why would she have one with the same last name.

"Jake, we actually had several fake names and possible back up plans. One of them included you and I being Renesmee's parents, with the possibility of Edward being killed. Or, it also left open the possibility of you and Renesmee being married. Of course, I never thought it was a possibility that it would just be us. But if we're going to travel together, it will be easier to do as a married couple. We'll raise less suspicion that way, don't you think?" she asked me, finally bringing her eyes to meet mine.

I let out of whoosh of air from my lungs. I could not believe how much planning they had done. I thought all of this time we were safe from the Volturi. I was actually pretty pissed that they never shared any of their concerns with me. And looking into that damn safety deposit box, they were pretty damn concerned.

"You know, it would have been nice of you two to share some information with me. Just because you're a vampire doesn't mean you shouldn't include me in things. Damn it, Bella," I shut my eyes.

"I see now that you're right, Jake. We relied too much on Alice's visions. I think they knew that and found a way to use that against us. We've got to get moving," she said, and shut the locker door, effectively ending any other conversation, knowing Stuffy would be coming in.

She pushed her purse up her shoulder and pointed to the duffle bag. To keep up appearances, it wouldn't be right for her to lift it like it weighed next to nothing. I grabbed it and she wrapped her cold hand in mine.

"All set?" Stuffy asked as the doors opened. He came to verify the room was empty. Satisfied that everything was fine he followed us out and the doors closed behind us.

"Thanks, Mr. and Mrs. Smith," he said, as we left without looking back.

* * *

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	3. We've Got Soul

Chapter 3

**Rated M**

**Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer. But Jacob belongs to me. Just kidding. **

**Thanks for reading. I really am glad you've made it this far. I posted my first ever chapter, 2 weeks ago and am amazed at the number of views and visitors. I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter with all of the dialogue. Hope it comes out alright.**

We left the bank and needed to figure out what to do next. Unfortunately, I needed something to eat. Even though I didn't really have much of an appetite overall, I knew I needed to keep my energy up.

We walked into a Potbelly Sandwich shop. I headed straight to the counter and ordered 4 Italian sandwiches, a couple of bags of chips and 2 bottles of Coke. I met Bella at our table and sat down to eat. She people watched while I scarfed the food down.

"Mmm, this tastes so awesome. Don't you wish you could have one?" I taunted her. I don't know why I was suddenly feeling goofy.

Slowly, Bella turned her face and looked at me. She looked at my empty packaging and then looked up to my mouth. "I think you forgot a crumb, right there," she reached out and flicked my lip.

"Ouch, damn it. Do you even know your own strength?"

"Whatever! I barely touched you. You're just faking it," she laughed.

"Is there blood? I think I taste blood on my lip," I said, and stuck my tongue out to check.

"You are such a dork," she scoffed.

"Yes. I'm okay with that though. Let's get out of here, I'm done," I stood and threw my trash in the garbage. I walked back to the table and grabbed my bag.

Once out on the sidewalk, I asked what our next plan was.

"Denali," was Bella's simple answer.

"More vampires, that's just fantastic," I mumbled. "Are we walking all the way to Alaska?"

"No, we're getting a car, _Tom,_" she said sarcastically.

Bella stopped and held her hand up, moments later a cab braked at the curb. We climbed in and she said, "SEA-TAC please."

Once there, we headed to the rental car counters. Bella walked up to the shortest line and arranged a one way car for us. We walked out to the parking lot and Bella checked the receipt she was given. I followed her to the parking space noted on the paper.

I literally laughed at loud. It was a Kia Soul. "Bella, my left leg won't fit in this tiny assed car! What the hell?"

"Jacob, you have no idea what you have to have to rent a car. This was the only car they'd rent without a credit card. In fact, I think I paid so much I bought this car!"

I leaned in and pushed the seat back as far back as it would go. I tossed my bag over the seat and squashed myself into the seat. "It's a good thing you never get tired, Bells, because there's no way I could drive in this clown car."

"Really, it's not my fault you're freakishly tall," she countered.

"Ha, ha, ha."

We headed out of the airport and got on Interstate 5. We headed north toward British Columbia. We couldn't drive the entire way, so eventually we were going to have to go on foot.

To pass time, I started playing with the satellite radio. I checked every station before dismissing it and moving on to the next one. Seriously, that many channels and not a single good thing on? What a waste.

"Would you just choose something?!" Bella snapped at me. "You're driving me nuts changing the channel every 2 seconds!"

"Really, these stations suck and you know it."

"Oh my gosh, just turn it off!" she said.

"Fine, I'll sync it to my phone. Hope you can handle DJ Jake in your little clown car, Bells," I teased. But I pumped up the bass and started with some funky beats and The Rockafeller Skank. That song had one great beat and the dumbest name ever. I rocked in my seat as Bella drove on, not even bouncing one tiny bit. Damn she was such a dud.

I switched to another song, one Ness had put on my phone. It was a classical tune and it bored me to tears.

Suddenly, Bella reached over and snatched my phone cracking it in her hands.

"What the hell? Why did you do that?" I asked with shock in my voice. Good grief, she could've told me to turn it off. I braced myself as she yanked the car off onto the shoulder. She had not reacted this way to music since before Edward left her.

"How many songs do you have saved to that phone, Jake? 2-3 thousand? You had to play _**that**_ song! Of all the songs you had to play, you thought that would be a good one?" she shrieked at me.

Clearly, I had struck a nerve but I didn't know why.

"Well, Ness put that on there, so I thought you'd like it. I didn't know. I'm sorry," I said, looking at her with a look of complete confusion.

She sighed heavily and then said so quietly and quickly, I almost missed it, "Edward used to play that. That was a recording of Edward playing. He wrote it for me. I'm sorry for breaking your phone. I hope you had it backed up. It just took me by surprise. We'll stop as soon as we can find a store and get your phone replaced," she began babbling quickly. Oh.

She jerked the car back on the road and started driving again. The little hunk of junk was running as fast as it could. I hoped the tires didn't fall off.

I sat back with my hands resting on my legs, staring out the window. I wasn't exactly watching the scenery but remembering things from my past. I was reliving the good times. Times I would never have again.

After the Volturi left, I went back to the reservation for a while. The imprint pull insisted I see Ness all of the time. So I went to the Cullen house frequently to visit with her and play. I finished getting my high school diploma online. It didn't feel right heading back to high school with 16 and 17 year olds whose biggest worry in life was who was going steady with whom. I may not have been older biologically but I was decades older in life experience.

Ness grew up quickly like Nahuel had said she would. She was a wonderful person. When I started taking college courses, I'd bring my books over and we'd study together. It was only a little bizarre to discuss calculus and English 101, with someone who was technically only 5 years old. Ness had read tons of books from the Cullen library and she had this amazing way of making them actually sound interesting.

When she got older, we started talking about her desire to meet other people and feel part of the world. The only humans she really interacted with were Charlie, Sue, my dad and the other imprints. She wanted to play with other children. It was frustrating to her that she couldn't. So when I'd come home from classes, she'd want every single detail of my day.

There was one day in particular that came to mind. Ness and I had gone hunting together. She could eat human food and did, but needed the blood to sustain her strength. Personally, I preferred my meat cooked but I enjoyed spending time with her. We sat on a mountain top and just sat in silence. It was nice to stare out at the beauty around us.

Finally, she spoke and warmed my heart, "Jacob, you are my best friend. Thanks for always being there for me." She turned and beamed her bright, happy smile in my direction.

I sat with a smile on my own face remembering that day. She had been my best friend. I told her my hopes and dreams, some of my fears about growing older. She was a young teenager at that time but beyond sophisticated.

"What are you so happy about?" Bella interrupted my thoughts. I snapped back to the present and turned my head over to hear.

"Just remembering a good day," I answered. I had no plans on reliving that day out loud.

"I found a phone store. I thought we'd stop and get you something to eat before we get to the border. It won't be long after that we'll have to turn the car in," she said.

"Sounds like a plan," I looked at the time on the car. It was hard to believe we'd been driving almost two hours now. I'd probably been silent almost all of it after the phone incident. I didn't have it backed up so I was hoping they'd be able to get stuff off of it for me. I turned it over in my hands. The screen was broken and the side was cracked somewhat. There were photos on there that could never be recreated. Especially since everything else that proved her existence was gone now.

We headed into the mall and Bella said she'd catch up with me soon. I knew with her nose she'd have no problem finding me. I walked into the phone store and set about getting a new phone.

A pretty young blonde met me at the door and asked how she could help me. She said she thought she should be able to transfer things over. I wandered around the store while the girl did her thing.

"All set!" she called out to me, so I headed over to the counter. "Your girlfriend is very pretty. You have some amazing pictures on your phone. Quite the nature enthusiast." She was standing too close for comfort and when I stepped back a half step, she followed.

"She's my little sister and she passed away. Those picture are all I have left of her," I said acidly. I did not want her affections in any way. That shut her up immediately.

"I'm so sorry. I'll just ring it up and get you on your way then," she said, walking briskly away.

I left with my new phone and an indestructible case. While it wouldn't protect it from Bella, I hoped it would stay safe. Before I walked out into the mall to find her, I set the phone to back up so I'd be able to save the pictures if something did happen to my phone.

I smelled her, so I knew Bella was close by. I looked up and found her sitting in an overstuffed leather chair with a sour look on her face. My expression must've said, "what?" because she then pointed at the sales girl.

"She was fishing about you," was her response.

"Yeah. I shut her down. I'm ready to eat, let's get moving," I said.

"That's all you have to say about it? A beautiful bubbling blonde practically jumps you in the mall and you want to go eat?" she asked incensed.

"Well, I don't care about her and we have infinitely more important things to do. What do you want me to say, excuse me while I go hit on her?" I stopped and looked at her. I didn't understand her attitude. It wasn't like this was a new thing. Women often hit on me and some were pretty damn shameless about it.

"Ness wouldn't want you to live the rest of your life alone," she said.

I blew a huge breath out. "Bella…Ness and I actually talked a lot. You know this. We were not headed toward being a couple. She was not looking for that. We always thought that if one of us passed, the other would too. There was no after death contingency. I wasn't sure how I'd have a relationship with a woman yet. There was a lot of uncertainty, but not about that."

She turned suddenly. "What?"

"First of all, take it easy, we're in a public place, so don't move so fast. Second of all, didn't Edward tell you this? I was sure he'd announce it from the mountaintops." When she gave no indication that she knew what I was talking about, I finished. "We'd already decided our imprint was a brotherly/sisterly kind. She did not feel that kind of love for me. She knew I went on a couple of dates, but there was nothing serious." I looked away, feeling uneasy.

"How about you get some food to go? I want to get back on the road," she said already walking swiftly toward the food court. Even though she appeared to be walking fast, I knew she was tempering it for the humans around her.

I headed toward the food court and ordered a whole meat lovers pizza. I met Bella out at the car and squished myself inside. I devoured the pizza but it had no taste. I still didn't have much of an appetite but needed to keep my tank fueled for the long run to Denali.


	4. Red is Not My Color

Chapter 4

**Rated M**

**Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer.**

**So I went back and read Ch 1-3 all at once and found a few things that I want to smooth over. I'm a bit old fashioned, so when Ness' passport is destroyed, that's the last physical picture of her, even though Jacob has some on his phone. **

**Also, while Jacob does know of a contingency plan, he thinks it was nothing major and that it was a simple "just in case" scenario. He wasn't aware of the extensive plans that Edward and Bella created. **

**Finally, my most annoying straight out boo-boo of calling both Bella and Ness his best friends. Maybe I'll go back and edit that to say, former best friend, or just friend.**

**All errors are my own. I do review my chapters before I post them but you know how editing your own work goes sometimes. Hope you like it!**

Lost in my thoughts, it only felt like 5 minutes before we pulled up to the Canadian border. We had to show our identification and thanks to the rental car situation, got to have the "full dog sniff down" of the car. Wouldn't you know it, one of the dogs sat outside my door and wouldn't move? The officer asked me to step out and the dog gave me a thorough exam. I knew exactly what the dog thought it was smelling, but the officer took that deep crotch sniff down to mean I had something hidden.

"Sir? Mr. Jones, do you have something in your pants?" he asked.

I really had to make an effort not to chuckle, knowing how that question would sound in any other context. "Other than my body, Sir, there is nothing else in these pants besides my boxers," I answered about as honestly as possible.

"We're going to need to do a full body x-ray, step this way," he barked.

"Be right back, Teresa," I said to Bella. I followed the officer over to a building, where I got the invasive x-ray. Hope that guy enjoyed the preview of my junk. I smiled widely as I walked out the door. But not to be outdone, I growled at the dog in a pitch no human could hear. He snarled at me and jumped in my direction. The officer pulled his leash back hard.

"Sorry about that. He's never done that to anyone before," he apologized.

"Glad you have him under control officer. A trained dog like that could hurt somebody," I said seriously. Then I walked quickly back to the car and got in with Bella. We were waved on and she pulled through and started the drive on the Canadian Highway.

"Jeez, Jake, you're lucky they didn't take you back in for a full cavity search after that dog flipped out! Why would you do that?" she asked me.

"Just to let that little dog know as bad as he thought he was, I was badder," I said with all seriousness. Then I couldn't hold it anymore and a chuckle slipped out. "I don't know. The dog just grated against the wolf."

"Is 'badder' even a real word?" she snarked. Bella kept her eyes on the road and her hands at 10 and 2. I thought it was funny because even though she had better senses and abilities as a vampire, her human driving habit hadn't changed.

I leaned the seat back and put my arm over my face. "Are we going to head out on foot as soon as we drop the car off or are we going to sleep the night somewhere?"

"Well, how do you feel right now?" she glanced over at me, assessing my exhaustion.

"Part of me doesn't want to waste any time, but the human part of me, needs some rest. Not a whole lot, but it would be nice to shower and sleep in a bed," I told her.

"Okay. While you were taking care of your phone, I got us some different clothes," she looked at me pointedly.

"I paid for them, so don't give me any crap either. We needed something that would last out in the woods. I got a backpack for me to carry all of our stuff in. I assumed you didn't want to carry the duffle bag on your bag like a mule."

"That works for me. I don't need anything fancy, so let me know when we get there," I closed my eyes and attempted to nap.

Again, I fell into a memory on the past. It was not all that long ago. Ness and I were talking about the future. We had agreed on the imprint quite a few months ago. Really, I was relieved in a way. Quil and I had always assumed our child imprints would be our mates as they grew older. Ness' accelerated aging made us the first to be developmentally closer together in age. As she got older and our friendship developed from one of caretaker to that of peers, I felt love for her, but not in love with her.

It seemed our choices in the future were not going to be easy. She couldn't date human men, they wouldn't understand her lack of aging. I wasn't sure who I could date that would understand Ness' permanent place in my life.

We were discussing the implication that she and Nahuel would be compatible. She had laughed and said she didn't think she could date someone that was born 150 years before her. I had laughed out loud at the fact that her father was 100 years older than her mother.

I hadn't realized I was laughing out loud in the car either. Bella looked over at me expectantly, waiting for me to elaborate on what was so funny. I decided to tell her.

"Just remembering a conversation I had with Ness. We were talking about her and Nahuel. She was grossed out that he was 150 years older than her," I looked over to see her face, but she kept her expression guarded. Not that I expected her to give anything away.

"I know you will probably never understand the relationship that Edward and I had, Jacob, but age didn't matter to me," she said with a hint of bite to her answer.

"Really? And the fact that I was a whole two years younger than you was, in fact, a huge deal to you when we were teenagers!" Oh my. Where the hell had that come from? I had not thought about that in so long. I had spent so many years thinking my future was already chosen, but since that future fell away, I hadn't fallen back into my Bella obsession. Why in the fuck was it showing up now?

Ugh.

"Things were different. I was different.

"I've found a motel nearby where we need to return the car. We'll check in and then I'll take the car back by myself," she answered with just a hint of rudeness to her voice.

"I thought you didn't want to be on your own for too long, Bella. How can I get some rest if I'm worried about you getting killed?" I said, but I didn't look at her. I needed her help to get to the bottom of my family's slaughter. "As much as it pains me to say it, we need each other for now. So let's not get separated."

Her only answer was a nearly silent huff.

She turned into a nondescript motel and parked in front of the office. We walked in and requested a room with a king size bed. The older woman behind the counter smiled at me and winked a little before passing the key card over to me.

"Have a nice night, Mr. and Mrs. Jones," she said, her smile widening.

"I'll walk down to the room and meet you there," I told Bella as I headed through a breezeway and came out on the other side of the building. It wasn't long before I saw the headlights of the car pull around. I held the door open for Bella as she carried all of our bags in the room and dumped them on the bed.

I walked in the room and looked around. Well. That explains the wink. Did we just check into the Las Vegas Cheesy Honeymoon Suite? I could not stop the guffaws as they poured out of me. Oh, wouldn't that old bag love to know that, one, there was going to be no _love_ happening in this hideous red satin bed, but two, my "wife" didn't even sleep. It was really funny.

Bella, the dud, as I was taking to call her in my head, just rolled her eyes and planted herself in a chair. She glanced around at the mirrored ceiling and walls and clucked her tongue. It really was hideous, I couldn't blame her. Instead of discussing the monstrosity called a bed, I stepped over to it and searched through the bag for clean clothes to wear. I wadded up some jeans, a long sleeve shirt and some boxers. Glad she thought of that.

I cranked the shower knob as hot as it would go. I hissed as it came out unexpectedly hot. Holy shit! Quickly, I turned it down some and watched as the dirty water poured down my body. Gross, I really was filthy right now. I scrubbed myself down with the provided "Love Potion No. 9" soap and rinsed myself off. The water was running clear, so I must have passed for clean.

After getting dressed, I walked out of the bathroom and finished getting ready to return the car. Hopefully there was a car service still running because I didn't want to start my hiking tonight.

Later that evening, Bella sat with the TV turned on, the sound off and captions on. I crawled into the bed and closed my eyes. It didn't take long for me to fall sound asleep. I was emotionally and physically drained.

"Jacob! Jacob! We need your help! Come right away!" I had answered the phone and Seth was on the other end. He was living on the reservation again and I could feel his panic.

"I'm on my way!" I called back and ran out the door of my little house, shredding my clothes in the process. I ran toward Bella and Edward's cottage, screaming in my head for Edward. He came racing out of the house, and I explained to him that something bad was happening at the rez and I needed to go. "Keep Nessie here!" were my last words before I turned and hauled ass to La Push.

My heart was pounding and I started crying out for my pack mates and friends. All I could see was death and destruction.

Suddenly, a freezing hand was on my shoulder. I reached and grabbed the arm, ready to pull it from the demon that attacked my tribe, when I heard my name.

"Jacob! Jacob! Wake up! You're flipping out and you're going to wake this whole shithole up!" Bella said as she shook me harder.

Her words worked their way through my addled brain. Finally, I calmed down and opened my eyes. She was leaning over me. I couldn't help it, but I burst into tears. I grabbed hold of her and just held her body near me. The only living person I had left and she was locked in place. I did not care. I needed the contact. I needed the closeness of another human being. She would have to do. Eventually, she unfroze herself and hugged me back.

"I wish I could cry too, Jake," she whispered.

After I cried myself out, I dozed off and was able to get enough sleep. Bella hadn't left me but she did uncurl herself from my side. When I opened my eyes, she was staring at the TV. I followed her eyes and saw it was an infomercial for some Chuck Norris exercise program. I rolled off the bed and headed to the bathroom. I relieved myself and started to get ready to go see the Denali's.

Bella was up when I returned and was repacking our things in the backpack. She had pulled out the dressy clothes and put them in a plastic bag. She was wearing black cargo pants and a black long sleeve shirt. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail and she was whispering to herself what she needed to get done.

After whizzing by to the bathroom and gathering up the toiletries, she put those on top with a couple of ready to eat meals on the very top.

"I better grab something to eat before we go," I told her. She reached around and plopped a bunch of granola bars on the bed and two plastic bottles of orange juice. I shrugged and dug in.

"Okay. Let's go get us some, bloodsuckers," I chuckled as we headed out.

"Yeah, that's hilarious, Jake. You're a regular crack up," Bella responded drily.


	5. 2,000 Miles on Foot

Chapter 5

**Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. This is just one way it might've gone after BD.**

**Sorry to have not updated. RL…aka influenza takeover has happened at my house. I seem to be the last survivor standing! I also might have been stuck a bit.**

_ Last chapter left Bella and Jacob getting ready to head on foot to Alaska to see the Denalis._

We ran from the motel for hours to get to Alaska. My mind had switched from relaxed to fully focused once we left the room. It was necessary to block from my memory the breakdown I'd had after my dream last night. I did not need to be coddled like a baby.

Our run to Denali was about 2,000 miles through mountainous terrain. It wasn't going to be a walk in the park on a sunny afternoon. Racing through the snow was not much work for Bella, but it was a workout for my wolf. We'd stop and rest as I needed to, then pick back up and start running again.

I don't know why but after the first two days I started feeling a sense of dread in my chest. I couldn't really explain it but it made me push myself harder. My wolf was driving me now and I hadn't phased back to talk to Bella since we left Vancouver.

Finally, she stopped me. "Jake, what the hell is going on? You've got to rest and eat, you know," she said with concern in her voice.

A whine slipped through. I was frustrated that I couldn't talk to her right now. My paw scratched at the ground. She stood looking at me and when I didn't return to my human self, she opened the back and tore open one of the ready to eat meals. She put the food out on the ground and left it for me. I sniffed at it and while it wasn't a hot, fresh cooked meal, it was edible. So I slurped it in and looked expectantly at her, ready to move on.

"Okay, but I'm going to hunt, so if you find something to eat, you'd better fill up. I don't need to keep reminding you to keep your energy up," she answered as she flew off ahead of me.

Eventually, my body could not hold up against the exhaustion and I slowed down. I huffed before laying down and curling up on myself. As I nodded off, I heard Bella walk back over near me and sit down. A long breath escaped and I slept.

When I woke up, Bella was turned away from me looking out into the mountains around us. I glanced around and while I enjoyed the beauty of the area, it wasn't holding my interest right now. My body ached and I stretched my legs out to realize I was back in my human body…naked. Damn it. Again.

"I'm sorry about all that. My wolf is really restless for some reason and I couldn't get myself back to human," I told Bella. "If you toss me my pants, I can finally eat and we can finish this run off."

The pants hit me in the face. I stood and yanked them up my legs, looking up just in time to keep from having a metallic bag hit me in the face. I tore the bag open and pulled its contents out. I lit the tiny sterno can and heated the meal up. There was nothing like tasteless pot roast for dinner, but it was protein and my body needed it. Of course, the best part was the chocolate cake treat.

"One of these days, I'll make you a real chocolate cake. I can't imagine how dry and tasteless that must be. Thanks for going through this with me, Jacob," Bella spoke out of nowhere.

"You still want to cook? I figured you'd be over it now that you prefer your dinner rare," I lightly joked. I squatted down and warmed my hands over the tiny flame. While I ran hot, a couple of days running through the snow and ice chilled me a little bit.

I heard a chuckle and glanced up at Bella. She had a small smile lingering on her face.

"That's one way to look at it, I suppose."

I tossed my pants at her head and phased back, getting back into hunter mode.

"Touché," she said as she folded my pants up and put them back in her bag. It was only a moment later that she was tearing through the terrain ahead of me. I dashed off after her, not one to want to lose a race.

When we came within a few hours of the Denali's home, we hit a few scents. I started to get worried about why there were so many scents out here. The Denali's were literally in the middle of nowhere. There weren't any roads for miles and the only "people" going in were the undead kind. Bella started pushing herself ahead of me and I knew she was worried too.

Why would all of these vampires be here? Were the Denali's gone now too? We pushed faster and faster to get to their house.

What we saw when we came into view of their house stopped me in my tracks immediately. Standing outside facing our way were all of our allies from the past, except the Russian weirdos Vlad and Stefan.

I couldn't imagine the look on my face at this sight. They seemed prepared that we were coming. Immediately, Kate and Zafrina came running our way, with Nahuel not far behind.

"Bella, what's happened? Where is the rest of the family?" Kate asked quickly, glancing behind us like we would have left anyone behind.

"Jacob, how are you?" she asked looking directly into my eyes. Things had at least improved over the years with our families. I still couldn't understand this feeling of dread and as a result, I was stuck in my furry form. It were times like these the mind reader was helpful and I felt a sting of sadness again at all that was lost.

Instead of staying silent, I chuffed quickly in response, but paced uneasily next to Bella. It wasn't long before she laid it all out to them. She didn't mince words.

"The Volturi came and killed everyone, including the Quileute tribe. There's nothing and no one left. They burnt the Forks' house and the rez to the ground," she said, speaking to the entire crowd as she glanced around at their shocked faces.

"We knew something was up. We had gotten word from our Russian friends that things were in chaos in Volterra," Tanya said from the group.

"Renesmee?" Nahuel asked softly.

The whine slipped out before I could stop it. Bella leaned closer to me and then she answered him with a slight shake of her head.

"It's just me and Jake now," she breathed out.

Eleazar had come forward and I noticed they were all circling around us. I should've been worried but these vampires had stood with us already against the most ruthless killers in the world. He looked at me, and then Bella.

"I am truly sorry to hear this news, Bella and Jacob. We are profoundly sorry for your loss. Come inside and tell us everything you know," Eleazar apologized, as he held his arm out directing us to the house.

We walked up to the house and followed the vampires up the steps to the back deck. Bella turned and looked at me.

"He can't change back. He's too stressed," Bella said to the group, and then she ran a hand along my neck.

"It's all right, Jacob. Just stay off the furniture," Kate said, smiling widely at me. I snorted and followed Bella into the large, open living room. I glanced around the room. It wasn't like it was the first time I'd come here over the years, but it felt different. Before, I'd only come because of Ness. Now I was here without her.

The vampires all filed into the room and spread out. Some standing like statues and others sitting down, keeping up the human charade, for reasons I'd never get.

They all listened with rapt attention. Bella retold the whole story, including the parts I told her about the attack on my tribe and how she found me there. She left out all of the pieces of how we ended up here, just saying we'd left straightaway to come see them. Apparently, making sure all of their allies were in frequent communication was part of Bella and Edward's secret backup plans. It was astounding that they were all here. It had been less than a week.

"Who do you think it was?" Bella asked the room, but looking directly at Eleazar. Surely with his experience with the Volturi, he would know something.

"Sounds like they collected some new recruits since they came to Washington," he surmised. "I don't really know who they are, but it sounds like they had a plan in place. Aro, Marcus and Cauis are all dead?"

I shook my fur out as I stood. This was ridiculous. I needed to be able to talk and I couldn't in this form. I picked up the bag with my clothes in my teeth and walked out of the room. I phased back in a hallway, and headed off into a room to put some clothes on.

"They're all dead, but the few that escaped and went to the Cullen's," I stated as I walked back into the room in my jeans and pullover shirt. "They surprised Edward and Alice. Neither of them saw them coming until the last minute, Bella said," I finished as I sat down next to her on the big couch. I leaned back and rubbed my palms back and forth on my thighs. Eventually, this must have irritated Bella because she placed a hand over mine to still it.

"Edward couldn't hear them? Alice couldn't see them?" Tanya questioned. I thought that was pretty odd myself. Of course, he could hear my every thought just fine, but Bella had been silent to him until she figured out how to lift her shield. Alice couldn't see mine or Ness' futures. So, how could they have pulled this off?

The conversations around the room continued as I was lost in thought. Bits and pieces would float through and I'd turn them around and around in my mind. I glanced down at my hand and realized that at some point, I'd intertwined my fingers with Bella's. I squeezed lightly and her eyes jerked my way. She didn't really move, but her fingers began to loosen. I held them in my hand and swept my thumb over the back of her hand. I just couldn't let her go yet. She was all I had left.

Her and this unlikely room full of allies.

Kate finally made her way over to us and sat on the coffee table in front of us. She briefly peered at our joined hands but didn't say a word about it.

"Jacob, forgive me for bringing up what I'm sure is a very touchy subject, but we all thought your tribe's legends said you would pass when your imprint did," she probed.

"That's what we all thought. I have no idea, and my tribal histories have now been destroyed," I turned my head slightly and stared out the window to the snow and ice.

The water in my eyes welled up but did not spill over. What the fuck was I going to do? It bothered me, but I had too many other things that were in the forefront of my mind right now. The most notable one was the absolute need for revenge. I would get revenge for Renesmee's death. She did not deserve the horror that had been brought on her, nor did any of the humans in La Push. The rage built up and I stood up from the couch. I opened the back door and stripped my clothes off. I unceremoniously dumped them on the ground and phased. I needed to run and deal with some of my rage. A room full of vampires all talking was not helping me at all.

One of the last conversations I heard as I tore away was of the possibility of more shape shifters that Carlisle had spoken about since our last run in with the Volturi. Maybe there was some kind of hope for finding out the legends after all.


	6. Burnt Bacon Stinks

Chapter 6

Rated M Sorry for the long delay, this story was just kind of hanging there, not really feeling inspired.

**You know who the real owner is, and it's not me. This is a work of fiction, I am not an expert on legends of any Native American tribes, nor really knowledgeable at all. So what I don't know, I make up.**

_Last chapter, Jacob and Bella showed up to find all of their vampire allies in Denali. Jacob took off on a run after an overwhelming discussion happened around him._

When I got back, I could tell some of the vamps had dispersed. I could've slept out in the forest, but what was the point when there was a nice warm bed waiting for me to stink up here?

As I loped up to the deck, I could see Bella stand to look for me. She tossed my clothes out to me and turned around to give me some privacy to get dressed.

"Feel better?" she asked, without any hint of anger or frustration.

"As much as I can right now," I answered. I stepped up onto the deck and followed Bella into the house. "I'm exhausted and I need a shower. I had to get some dinner to go while I was out." I looked pointedly at her.

Funny enough, she laughed. "You're right, not much to eat here. No humans to be fed. I wonder if they even have a refrigerator in that kitchen," Bella joked with me.

"Nope!" we could hear Kate's response across the house.

"Follow me to the guest wing, Jake," Bella turned and raised her eyebrows. We walked out into the garage and outside to a set of stairs. They led up to a small apartment over the empty garage. Why the hell did they have a garage at this house when no cars could even come this far was beyond me. I guess when you had gobs of money, you did things that didn't make sense.

Bella plopped down on the couch and turned the TV on. I guess she was hanging out here. I took the bag from her and headed to the bathroom to get cleaned up. I don't really know how they had running water out here in the sticks, but I wasn't going to question it. Alaska was one unusual place with its frozen ground. La Push might've been the Rainy Day capital, but we sure had running water.

I came out of the bedroom dressed in shorts and told Bella I was headed off to sleep.

"You going to be okay?" she asked.

"Why wouldn't I be?" I looked at her with an odd expression on my face. Since when did she give a crap if I'd sleep alright?

"Well, I'm asking because you've been having bad dreams since we left. Even when we've been out in the woods," she answered, looking at me, but not into my eyes.

I narrowed my eyes and walked into the bedroom without another word. She must've completely forgotten what it was like to sleep. In a way, I envied that because right after I closed my eyes, all I could see was a replay of the fight and my imagination running wild with the fight at the Cullen house. What could she really do to help me? I'm sure it was some kind of post-traumatic stress crap.

I pulled the froo froo comforter and pillows off the bed and tossed them onto the couch near the window. I laid down and tried to sleep. It took me awhile now that I was concerned about the noise I might make in a house full of people with super hearing. Finally, exhaustion won over and I fell asleep.

Again, I woke ready to remove an ice cold arm from a vampire body before an open palm blocked my arm.

"Jacob! It's me, damn it," Bella cried out. "Settle down, it's okay. It's just me."

I sat up and looked around, disoriented. My eyes finally adjusted to the dark room. I looked at Bella who stood just out of arm's reach, watching me carefully. I huffed and turned over to try to get back to sleep. I heard light footsteps move around the room and when I opened one eye, I could see Bella sitting on the couch with a notepad in her hand. I huffed and closed my eyes, focused on breathing to get back to sleep.

The smell of bacon cooking rose me from my sleep. I rubbed my eyes and noticed the alarm clock on the nightstand next to the bed said it was 10:30. I rolled out of the bed and followed my nose to the kitchen.

"When did you leave to get food?" I asked Bella, as I reached over and snatched a piece of bacon off the plate on the counter.

"I didn't. Kate and Garrett went out sometime last night and brought food back for you. You can't decimate the wild game around here, people might start to notice," she said.

I just snorted. Whatever. "Vegetarian" vampires lived here.

Bella smirked and looked at me. "Or maybe, Jake, she wanted to do something nice for you. You've spent the last 5 years with vampires, haven't you realized that not all of us are bloodsucking demons?"

"Well, you're a real pain in my ass, Bella. But since you're cooking bacon, I guess I can let you hang around me a little longer," I quipped.

"Keep talking crap, and I'll forget to turn the heat off and this will be burnt to a crisp bacon," she flipped back. "By the way, it smells disgusting to me. How did I ever cook this before?"

"Do not start talking about how gross my breakfast tastes, okay? I've got to eat and I don't want to be grossed out by it. I'll start talking about how sweet Bambi is next time you head out hunting," I threatened her.

"Fine, just eat. I made you toast and scrambled eggs," she answered as she pulled a plate from the microwave over the stove.

I walked into the small kitchen and grabbed the plate of bacon and the other plate as well and headed to the barstool. I pulled it up to the counter and began eating the food Bella had made for me. I tried not to think about how strange it was that she didn't eat food at all anymore.

"You know they have bacon flavored cupcakes and ice cream these days?" I asked Bella looking to see her reaction.

"Food repulses me now anyway, but I can remember liking things. What exactly is the matter with people that they want to flavor things like that? Yuck!" Bella replied.

I finished inhaling the food she made. Vampire or not, she could still cook well. I could cook for myself, but I had a smaller range of things that turned out edible.

Once the plate was empty, I carried it over to the sink and washed it. I reached out to grab some of the pans to wash, but Bella wouldn't let me.

"I'll get it. Don't worry about it," she said.

"Are you sure? You cooked, I can clean it up," I offered.

She looked at me with eyes that looked incredibly sad, especially for a vamp. "I need to keep myself busy, Jake. With this brain, I've got a lot of space to fill up and I keep running everything over and over in my mind. In a way, I miss being able to sleep. At least if I slept, I could escape this reality for a few hours."

I looked at her, and saw her bite her bottom lip, an old human mannerism. "Bella, I can tell you that when I sleep, I don't escape it at all." I walked out of the apartment and down the stairs back to the main house.

Kate greeted me as soon as I walked in and I followed her voice to an office looking space near the front of the house. A number of computers and monitors were set up around the room on desks and several vampires were reading articles and looking at maps, almost too fast for even my supernatural eyes to see.

"What are you guys up to?" I asked.

"We're trying to locate others and find out what happened in Washington, and who was responsible," Tanya answered me without bothering to turn around. She was still an ice queen, but she wasn't as snotty as she used to be.

"Have you found anything out?" I asked, as I pulled one of the large office chairs over to sit in. Good grief, did all vampires have this kind of obnoxious furniture? It was like they had to buy the most expensive thing available.

"A little bit, but nothing that we can really work with yet," Carmen replied. "How was breakfast, Jacob?"

I turned to the little vamp and smiled at her. "It was good. Thanks to whoever got the real food for me. Bella hated the smell of the bacon. So, sorry if the apartment smells like burnt fat for a while."

I wasn't really all that sorry. I mean, they had plenty of rooms in the main house, right?

"Well, you're our first guest in the 'guest wing' so it's okay, really," Kate smiled as she stepped closer to me, holding out an open palm. She smiled wickedly. I knew that grin.

"I don't think so. You aren't going to get me with that parlor trick again," I laughed, just as Bella walked in.

"Go ahead, Jake," she encouraged.

I sighed and held out an open palm, I stood just looking at the grinning cold one when suddenly her electricity stabbed through my hand. I ripped my arm back and turned on Bella.

"Damn it, Bella! That's not funny. It hurt!" I was pissed.

"I'm sorry, Jake. It wasn't funny. You're right," she answered, nearly sounding sincere.

"Has anybody found any information about possible shape shifters out there yet?" I asked, trying to not take my anger at Bella's 'joke' out on anyone else in the room.

"It looks like there are legends about shifters in the Dakotas, Jake," Elezar spoke seriously to him. He reached out a piece of paper with information printed about the tribes and shifter legends there.

"Thanks a lot," I said, meaning it. "I'm going to get started on this right away. I'm going to head into the city to get a flight to North Dakota." I turned and looked at Bella. "You can go with me part of the way, but I don't think it's safe for you to get too close."

"Okay, but I refuse to be far, in case you need me," she said. "Let's get ready to get going now." I watched as she opened the back door and headed to the 'guest wing.' I listened to the conversations continue around me as I considered the possibility of meeting more shifters. It was not something my tribe ever discussed, but it made sense that we weren't the only protectors. I tried to hold back the hope that they could explain things about my imprint and other unexplained legends in our histories.


End file.
